#and i'll annotate some where it won't take the fun out of it

[socstudies]

Hi, as someone who is going to be in their first year of college this fall, I'm curious about the note taking part

Is physical or digital note taking easier?

Is spending money on a laptop nessesary?

What is something you wish you would've done differently during your first year?

Do you have any advice?

If by any chance you see this, your blog and your aesthetic are amazing!

I'm wishing you a wonderful day/night.

If you do decide to reply, thank you in advance <3

helloo! sorry for the late reply & thank u for the ask! :)

ive tried both and i think i prefer handwritten notes, however they both have their pros and cons:

handwritten pros

proven to be better for retaining information

can't get distracted by other tabs

lighter to carry

costs less than a laptop

i've had some classes where we weren't allowed to use laptops so it's good to already be used to taking notes this way

cons:

much slower. sometimes i find im missing stuff and i have to go back to it at the end

have to print out diagrams etc if u want to include them

could possibly lose them, spill something etc

not enough space on desk for both laptop and notebook so u can't get slides up or google something

digital pros:

much quicker

easier to organise & pull up different notes at any time - u don't need to carry around or find older notebooks to be able to study or refer back to past classes

some people make notes directly onto the slides which u would have to print out if u wanted to do by hand

can also use for research and writing essays which u will need a computer for at some point so might as well do everything in one place

cons:

expensive

more stressful if u lose or break it

if u forget to charge it and u don't have paper .......

this upcoming year, im using a combination. most of the time i'll handwrite my notes, but for classes where they talk too quickly i'll type them (it's not worth the stress & extra time having to go back to recordings after). my notes for readings will be annotated straight onto the pdf. i'll be taking pictures of notes to put them all together.

---

unfortunately, i think it is because you'll need computer access to research and write ur essays, as well as to find course information etc. HOWEVER some universities (most?) have laptops that u can borrow and computers in the library, so if u know that you'll be motivated enough to get up and do all of ur work on campus, you could save this cost - bare in mind when u move off campus after first year it might be even harder. definitely look into this if cost is an issue for you! it doesn't need to be a fancy one if u do buy a laptop though, just remember u'll be carrying it around so don't get a super heavy one!

---

as for something i wish i'd done differently: as a sociology student, none of my classes have exams where i have to memorise things, instead it's all essay based. this led me to not 'study' i guess ??? like the stuff that i wrote my essays on, i knew like the back of my hand, but everything else i couldn't remember well. so if ur taking an essay based subject, remember that u still need to study a little & remember these things !! i was so overwhelmed tbh that i forgot about this oopsie!

---

extra advice:

when people say that after u skip one class, u'll skip the rest THEY. MEAN. IT. literally try so hard not to miss class bc you will never go again if u do. my classes would start off with not enough seats for everybody and end up with just a handful of us by the end of term.....

make time for urself !! it can become all consuming, especially if u live on campus, but pls make some dedicated time away from studying !!

u will find ur friends eventually. pls remember that it won't last or be that fun if u stick with friends who u don't have that much in common with just bc they were the first u met. tell me why i was going to bars and clubs with people in first term bc that;s what they wanted to do ????? it's ok to move onto different people bc u will eventually get tired of doing these things u don't like just to be able to hang out with people !! now i go to bookstores and cafes with my new friends and i love it!! don't settle !!

[lesbianrobin]

howdy em, any advice for focusing on studies instead of my hobbies? I love my fandom blurbs so much but sometimes it’s to my downfall xp

babes i appreciate your high opinion of me but i am SO not the bitch to ask. i'm literally terrible at time management and focusing on boring shit FKVJDJD but here's some stuff that sorta works for me. sorta.

incorporate your interests into your schoolwork whenever possible. obviously this is gonna be a task of varying difficulty depending on the assignment and what you're studying, but if you Can write your paper about stranger things or create a fun visual project in photoshop to display your data or whatever, you're gonna be more motivated to work.

sorta on that note you know that thing where you read a fanfic and it's like so incredibly obvious that the author works in a specific field or has expertise with a specific thing? you could be that author. if you can't incorporate your interests into your work, try incorporating your work into your interests! idk about you but i definitely have more fun and feel more motivated when i'm researching for a fic than i do when i'm just doing a random assigned reading. as you study, you might keep a list in the back of your mind of ways that this could potentially benefit a future fic or whatever to keep you engaged.

i personally once made a stranger things gifset to explain the history of color in film to procrastinate studying for my film history final and guess what! i was actually just studying for my film history final! in a weird ass nerd way!!

be flexible with your studies. i typically write at least 50% of any given assignment on my phone, because i'll get ideas at random moments or seize small pieces of downtime throughout the day to get work done. it can be helpful to designate certain times and spaces for schoolwork, but in my own personal experience, sometimes that can make the whole thing feel much more intimidating, and i won't get any more work done than i would have while typing on my phone in bed. i also find that restricting schoolwork to a specific time/place makes me view it as more of an obligation, when the truth is that i love what i study! i love to learn! so, i try to treat my studies as a hobby whenever possible. my fic and paper writing processes are nearly identical, and i think that helps in easing some of the pressure and dread that might accompany the thought of Writing A Paper.

this one is boring but just. reward yourself when you do focus on your studies! when i used to pull late nights in undergrad to get my work done on time, i would often take a trip to sonic when i was around halfway through with my work, for both a brain reset and a little reward. the first time i did it, i just didn't have any food for dinner in my apartment, but it quickly became a ritual that made me look forward to getting work done.

study in public when possible. this one sounds so stupid but literally the power of knowing that anybody around you in the starbucks or library or whatever could see you on tumblr/ao3/etc is NOT to be underestimated! i am a very insecure and self conscious person and i use this to my advantage. would you rather that cool-looking girl at the table next to you see you thoughtfully annotating marx or scrolling aimlessly through ao3? think about it.

ok that's like most of it i guess! but in all honestly i am still figuring it out myself. i think the key is just to keep on trying. it takes time to figure out what works for you and what doesn't, and there are gonna be times when you screw up and make a poor choice that backfires. instead of thinking about how much you suck, or writing it off entirely, look at these instances as opportunities to learn and consider how you might set yourself up to make better choices in the future.

anyway i'll get off my high horse and shut up now LMAO thank you for like thinking i am smart enough to come to with such a question. good luck!

[babacontainsmultitudes]

Taylor Playlist :]

Cause if you haven't noticed I've been a bit fixated on my little guy recently and I meant to share this one forever ago anyways. I'll be real, I really didn't bother to figure out the song order for this one.

Track list below the cut + annotations and relevant lyrics :)

(slightly long post you've been warned!)

>> Here you go bestie <<

Seeya (by deadmau5 feat. Colleen D'Agostino)

“Don't wake me up, I'm winning wars inside my head

And maybe I'm weak, but not beneath the covers of this bed

Asleep, I'm undefeated in this world of mine

So, let me stay inside this dream and keep me from the light

(…)

I've built this place, behind my eyes, you'll never see

And you can move my body, but please keep my mind asleep

Beyond the galaxies, where there's no space or time

I will transform, I am reborn to rule over the skies

(…)

Escape the world I know, it's all in my control

I, I just wanna stay this way

(…)

Don't try to save me when my mind is finally free

'Cause I'd rather run my own world, than face your reality”

The Main Character (by Will Wood)

I don’t think I have to explain this one.

World Is Mine (by Hatsune Miku)

Lol

Life Is Fun (by Boyinaband feat. TheOdd1sOut)

Well this one for me is basically an interaction between Taylor and Scary haha.

Cloudbusting (by Kate Bush)

Largely about Nicky! But in a way that is like… From Taylor’s perspective? Maybe also the reverse. A bit hard to explain exactly but maybe I’ll just share what sticks out to me and you can come to your own conclusions.

“You're like my yo-yo

That glowed in the dark

What made it special

Made it dangerous

So I bury it

And forget

(…)

On top of the world, looking over the edge

You could see them coming

You looked too small

In their big black car

To be a threat to the men in power

(…)

I hid my yo-yo

In the garden

I can't hide you

From the government

Oh, God, Daddy

I won't forget

(…)

And every time it rains

You're here in my head

Like the sun coming out

Look, your son's coming out

Ooh, I just know that something good is going to happen

I don't know when

But just saying it could even make it happen, oh

Ooh, just saying it could even make it happen”

Chosen (by The Living Tombstone)

Hm how to put this… It’s like, one part “Taylor seeing himself as some kind of chosen one”, one part “Taylor unlocking his inner demon” and one part “Taylor being along for the ride- potentially at his own expense/risk”

“A mind without a home

Leaving behind, the comfort that I've known

Where do I roam? A stranger to myself

Born to be here, but living somewhere else

And I'm searching for the reasons I've been

Chosen by a force beyond control

Beyond remorse and I don't know

If I will make it through this

Losing who I am

(…)

Losing everything I called "human"

Free will is miles away

I heard you play

In the digital cabaret

But I'm okay

I won't disobey

If you take me by the hand and make me

Chosen by a force beyond control

I'll play a part, you'll make me whole

You'll be my voice, I'll be your soul

You'll take my choice and I don't know

How you will make me new but

This is who I am”

Open Up Your Eyes (by Tempest Shadow)

Like this could have gone in a Nicky playlist cause this is literally just Nicky talking to Taylor and warning him of betrayal but it’s a MLP song so ultimately Taylor won out lol. Also someone please make an animatic of this I want it so so bad.

“It's time you learned a lesson

It's time that you understand

Don't ever count on anybody else

In this or any other land

(…)

I once hoped for friendship

To find a place among my kind

But those were the childish wishes

Of someone who was blind

Open up your eyes

(…)

Give up your sweet fantasyland

It's time to grow up and get wise

Come now little one

Open up your eyes

(…)

We all start out the same

With simple naïve trust

Shielded from the many ways

That life's not fair or just

(…)

But then there comes a moment

A simple truth that you must face

If you depend on others

You'll never find your place

(…)

And as you take that first step

Upon a path that's all your own

You see it all so clearly

The best way to survive is all alone”

Pretty Little Head (by Eliza Rickman)

It’s mostly:

“Boy, where's your mother? Fall down dead

Dirty mind, dirty mouth, pretty little head

I wish you were here, I wish you'd make my bed

Dirty mind, dirty mouth, pretty little head”

Mama (My Chemical Romance)

Heheh.

“Mama, we all go to Hell

I'm writing this letter and wishing you well

Mama, we all go to Hell

Oh well, now, Mama, we're all gonna die

Mama, we're all gonna die

Stop asking me questions, I'd hate to see you cry

Mama, we're all gonna die”

In light of recent episodes maybe even

“Mama, we all go to Hell

It's really quite pleasant except for the smell

Mama, we all go to Hell”

Takes on a funny little meaning now.

Holding Out For A Hero (by Frou Frou cause I really like this cover)

Partially an antihero goof, but there’s also a bunch of lyrics that are funny/interesting to me if you remove the intended context and think about Nicky instead. Perhaps especially:

“Up where the mountains meet the heavens above

Out where the lightning splits the sea

I could swear there is someone somewhere watching me

Through the wind and the chill and the rain

And the storm and the flood

I can feel his approach like a fire in my blood”

Heads Will Roll – A-Track Remix (by Yeah Yeah Yeahs)

Because it makes me laugh and I couldn’t resist.

Special (by Shinedown)

“Stop waitin' on your fifteen minutes of fame, 'cause you're not special

I'm not tryin' to rain on your parade, but you're not special

I'm not tryin' to bring you down, I'm not tryin' to sound so ineffectual

But you're not special

(…)

We all live to love, we all fall apart

We'd all go to war for the faint of heart

Instead we're condescending

There are no happy endings

I won't hold my breath, I won't cast a doubt

I'd never sell you out

But I'll give you one last chance to own it

'Cause you're not a god or a poet, so...

(…)

Stop waitin' on your fifteen minutes of fame, 'cause you're not special

I'm not tryin' to rain on your parade, but you're not special

I'm not tryin' to bring you down, I'm not tryin' to sound so ineffectual

But you're not special”

^ Anthony probably lol.

:) Okay that's it thank you for entertaining this besties!

[crsssie]

✨!congrats on the milestone!✨

might I ask for a dc comics batman/batfam matchup? (pls don't match me with Bruce though, anyone but Bruce lol)

INFJ

Leo (but I don't really vibe with it and I was born two months early sooo maybe I'm not supposed to be leo- I don't vibe with the confidence of a leo)

Age 24. Brunette. Blue eyes. 152cm. No piercings. No tattoos (although I'm half reluctantly saving for a big one to cover my thigh because I'd rather see some cool artwork than the stupid scars that I made)

Personality: Reserved. Reclusive to an extent and I'm not sure if that's just my nature or if it's cuz of the former years of mental illness just socially stunted me 🙃 or smth. Optimist by choice (negativity comes natural to me so I always make myself look to the bright side of situations and people). Turn the other cheek is my motto in fact I am rather a pushover and find it very hard to say no to people. Will take the path of least resistance and do my best to keep the peace. Don't hold grudges. Often become the mediator of family/friend disagreements. I love fall/winter, November is my fav month and I'm legit sad that it will be over in a few days and won't be back again for a whole year :( Hobbies include listening to music (love all music but the blues hit the best), embroidery, attempting to make my own clothes but its difficult, evening walks alone, reading (mostly Agatha Christie, Donna Tartt and H.G Wells), watching TV, reading fics on Tumblr, shopping. I'm a tea drinker because caffeine doesn't mix well with me it amps up the heebie jeebies, plus spearmint tea is quite soothing.

Ideal date: hmm idk I like a casual comfortable tea date. Or getting take out drinks from a cafe and visiting the flea market or vintage stores and just wandering about. If its not a first date then movie or boardgame night. Or a like a book club date where just the two of you swap copies of your fav books all highlighted and annotated and talk about it. I would consider this to be the best date ever but its too expensive but a date on The British Pullman ahh I would die authentic 1920s train carriage, everyone dressed vintage and fancy, multiple course meal while journeying through the English countryside in a private carriage, then visiting the Canterbury Christmas Carols or Castle ruins or Oxford, bonus points if the date is in November ✨

to be loved by you

Babs holds your hand as the two of you weave through the crowd to get to the front. Before the two of you lies a fake murder, and you tap your chin. Babs notes down the abnormalities, and the two of you go around interviewing the characters at the play.

"Who do you think it is?" Babs glances at your notes, and you hum.

"...you." You grin. "All the evidence points towards the man in a blue bowtie, but you dropped the USB. So, my darling partner? Care to tell me why you have data from the corpse?"

Babs smiles, closing her eyes as she does, laugh on her lips as you hum.

"That's cute. There's no way it's me."

"I'll show you." You hum, pressing the USB to your lips with a wink as you slip back into the crowd.

Babs shakes her head as her lips curl up as well. You'll see.

Headcanons:

murder mystery girlfriends you guys do SOOO much fun shit together (sometimes you attend murder mystery-themed events for fun)

Babs isn't afraid to speak up so if you ever start getting pushed around she will speak up and talk down to whoever is being rude

She will 100% take you around on dates to places you think are super expensive (Bruce pays her handsomely for being oracle)

You guys try new teas together!! Babs drinks a lot of coffee but she's always down to have some tea with you

Also, both of you are avid readers and Babs has so many books up her sleeve, so reading dates are super common too!!

[arlecchno]

YES OMG THE POISONED DREAMS SERIES (from what ive read so far) IS SO SCRUMPTIOUS - the print copies have art in them and im just so obsessed teehee . summers fic and MA over the past few months have been the things i looked forward to in the then - futures . cova is srsly taking all of our hearts hostage w that blessed fic LOL its also real fun that the reader in fic has a hydro vision (this doesnt count as spoilers right ?) because ive always personally envisioned (haha) myself with one too . cova also has other works w alhaitham in it that are like kinda sorta connected to summers fic , my favorite being this one , i love the fic description LMAO

dude ive done so much random bullshit because i used to have SO MUCH extra free time on my hands ??? and , honestly dude ive really been wanting to get back into writing on a regular basis but i have such terrible commitment issues with my personal projects its insane . also if you dont mind could you share some of your a/n that you find particularly silly ? i honestly live for memey authors notes

ive also taken that quiz ! multiple times actually (and many others) LMFAO , it was a different answer every time but its mainly a tie between ei and albedo . which is . heavily ironic . because all my close friends call me a scara kinnie which is like . ah yes another artificial human and then throw a creator of one at me like ??????? atp ive just come to embrace that i might be a little artificially flavored in the brain (/hj) . ive also been called a cyno kinnie sometimes because of the terrible puns i make (they laugh anyways though so i mean ..) anyways yeah so if you wanna assign me a genshin character too feel free to i guess , its honestly fun for me to see people assign me a genshin character they think im similar to .

heres …. a spoon i accidentally drew while trying to draw a fish

- jellyfish

i've only read the summers fic until chap 4 (currently reading chapter 5) and it's so good. the mc and alhaitham's dynamic is so funny HAHA i keep laughing every time they have their stupid banters especially in the middle of fighting/interrogating people.

mc having a hydro vision is actually so nice too!! in chapter 4 at the part where they were sitting by the water and mc was playing around with the water by morphing them into dolphins and such was a nice addition to them. having a hydro vision sounds so fun and honestly i kinda want it too now LMAO

i'll also be sure to check out the other fic you've linked! cova's work with the summers fic is truly good and they're hella good at writing, so i'm not gonna miss the chance to not read their other works 🥹

and wow!!! i think you'll do a great job at writing again, and if you ever decide to get back to it, i would drop everything to read your work. no really, you're good at drawing, you make poems, you like solving out stuff, you make your own games— what can't you do???? you have such amazing skills and talents, i'd drop on my knees to see more of your work 😵‍💫

i won't deny that writing is such a big commitment and it takes such a huge effort to get back on your feet, and that's okay!! i think it's really neat that you have your own personal projects, i would say that's a total win!!!! hehe

google docs has this section where it lets you add comments in the words you've highlighted and i took every opportunity to make the silliest ones in some lines i've written for ma (would we consider this as proper annotations? i don't think i would...), here are some of them

i like adding my own author comments in my google docs because personally— it feels like a wattpad comment section, except that it's only visible to you, y'know? pretty silly, exactly, but i like annotating my own work for some reason... i think i'm just hella weird

i kinda see how you'd be an albedo kinnie, actually. well, one, you're pretty artistic, but also, i have a feeling you're kind of a quiet and reserved person irl. i hope i'm not wrong because then i'd be a total fool HAHAHA but anyways... hm... cyno kinnie... you know i can't disagree to that when you've already slipped in a pun on your first paragraph 😔 ngl i giggled when i first read it so... another win for you?

thank you for the spoon jellyfish haha it's so silly that it made my day 😭